Starting college can be a scary thing. You’re no longer in high school anymore. You don’t have teachers on top of you every day telling you what to do all year long.

Here is my advice to those starting out.

1. Stay on track

Make a plan. Make sure know what your plan is when starting out. Take time to talk to a councilor every other month to let them help you organize your schedule. It makes keeping on track of the classes you need to graduate, easier.

2. Get involved

Join a club. It could kind of be intimidating in a new school environment, but joining a club can help you get more involved with school events and make friends while getting to know your campus.

3. Spend your money wisely

Keeping track on what you spend can be helpful so you won’t overspend. Don’t go out to eat every day, it all adds up. Instead, bring lunch from home. Those of you who are able to qualify for financial aid, listen up. Yes, it will be pretty awesome to receive help to pay for your classes, books, supplies and other necessities, but make sure you spend that money wisely.

4. Fighting college stress

Make sure you get enough sleep. There will be nights where you need to study for that stat test or finish your English paper, just don’t let that prevent you from getting a good nights rest.

5. Group studying.

This topic is kind of debatable. Some like to study on their own and that is great for those who are more into making sure they carry their own weight, but asking your classmates or friends to study at your college library or local cafe can be fun and help you socialize and make more friends.

6. Finding Cheaper textbooks

Before you purchase that $100 textbook from your campus bookstore, check out book prices online, you might find a cheaper used or almost new book.

7. Don’t take on too many tasks

Take it easy. Taking on to many classes can be overwhelming when getting close to finals, so even though you are aiming to be a full-time student, make sure you are able to handle that much work.

8. Meet with your professors

If you are really dedicated to passing your class, and passionate about a subject, make sure your professor knows that, meeting with your professor can be beneficial to you, your professor will know you are serious about this class and will keep that in mind when grading your work. But make sure you are actually putting in the hard work.

Don’t feel pressured to making hard decisions now. You’ve worked hard to get into the college you wanted to go to, enjoy your first year, take advantage of everything life throws you, and get the most of your college experience.